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Seven killed in Karnataka bus fire

Bangalore, Nov 14 IANS | 1 year ago

Seven persons were charred to death and 25 passengers were injured early Thursday when a private-run bus caught fire on a bridge near Haveri town, about 330km from here in northern Karnataka, a senior police official said.

"The mishap took place around 2.45 a.m. when the luxury bus of Volvo make from Bangalore to Mumbai hit the railing of a bridge at high-speed and caught fire as its fuel tanker leaked," Haveri Superintendent of Police M. Shashi Kumar told IANS.

About 50 passengers were on board the ill-fated bus operated by Nationals Travels based in the city.

"We are unable to identify the gender of the victims as their burnt bodies are beyond recognition. Six of the 25 injured have been rushed to a state-run hospital at Hubli, (50km from Haveri) as their condition is critical due to severe burns," Kumar said.

There were 43 men and six women among the passengers.

"The bus driver is absconding while its cleaner is injured and is in the local hospital at Haveri," Kumar added.